Ukraine rules out offensive against Russia-backed separatists

Meanwhile, Russia says it fears resumption of full-scale war in east Ukraine and could take steps to protect civilians.

Ukraine has said it will not launch an offensive against Russia-backed separatists controlling two regions in the east, as fears grow of a significant escalation in a long-running conflict. The statement came on Friday after fighting between the Ukrainian army and separatists intensified in recent weeks and Russia massed troops on the border. “The liberation of the temporarily occupied territories by force will inevitably lead to the death of a large number of civilians and casualties among the military, which is unacceptable for Ukraine,” Ruslan Khomchak, chief of the general staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said in a statement.